Car-coupling.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

s. P. BUSH. OAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 13.1906- [T ESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed May 18,1905. Serial No. 260.253.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. BUsH, of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings.

In car-couplings having lock-sets wherein the locking-block is first set and then upon the commencement of the opening movement of the knuckle is dislodged from its seat and falls onto and rides upon the tail of the knuckle until the latter is again fully closed it frequently happens that in making up trains and in making flying switches there will, owing to the curves in the track or the movements of the cars, be movement of the knuckle sufficient to dislodge the block from its set position and cause it to fall onto the tail of the knuckle, and if after this happens the knuckle again assumes its closed position the block will fall, thus locking the knuckle and preventing separation of the cars.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the knuckle can swing to almost an open position without dislodging the block, thus preventing to a large extent the accidental locking of the knuckle after the block has been once set for unlocking; and my invention consists in the parts and combination of parts, as will be more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a view in transverse vertical section, showing the knuckle locked; and Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the lock-set.

1 represents the coupling-head, in which is pivotally mounted the knuckle 2 by a pin 3. This knuckle is provided with a curved tail 4:, the lower face 5 of which normally rests above the floor 6 of the housing in the couplin -head and is provided near its rear edge 7 wit a depending projection 8, which latter is adapted to en age a toe of the locking-block 9 as the knuc :le approaches the end of its movement in opening. The locking-block 9 is angular in shape and is mounted to move vertically and swing laterally or transversely in chamber 10 in the coupling-head and is confined against any movement in the direction the knuckle by the walls of the couplinghead. Hence when the block is in its set position there is no liability of its displacement to a position for locking the knuckle, due to impact or collision between the couplings. This locking-block 9 is suspended from a chain 11, passing through a restricted opening 12 in the top of the head, the point of connection between the chain and block being to one side of the center of gravity of the block and in a position to cause the lower end of the block to tilt toward the tail of the knuckle, and to tilt or assist in the tilting movement of the block I may provide the side wall '13 of chamber 10 with a projecting shoulder 14, against which the upper end of the block 9 bears when the latter is being moved to its set position. The block 9 is provided With a depending integral member 15, having a laterally-projecting toe 16, which latter when the block 9 is in its set osition overlaps the floor 6 of the cavity in t e coupling-head and rests in a position to be engaged by the projection 8 on the under side of the tail of the knuckle. When the knuckle is in its closed position, the projection 8 rests some distance from the toe 16, as it is in the latter part of the open movement of the knuckle that the projection engages the toe 16. Hence it will be seen that the knuckle will have such freedom of movement both in the direction of opening and closing that the locking-block will not be unseated and fall onto the tail of the knuckle until the knuckle has moved or turned through a considerable portion of its opening movement, thus preventing the accidental relocking of the knuckle after it has been set and before the knuckle has been turned to its open position.

The lower wall or floor 6 of the couplinghead is slotted for the passage of the toe 16 of the locking-block 9 and is provided with a depending flange 17, which latter guides the toe 16 and prevents it from engaging the under side of the coupling-head.

With this device it will be seen that as the tilting movement of the locking-block is at right angles to the long axis of the draw-bar and coupling-head it will be practically impossible to jar the block from its set position, and as the construction is such that the block will not be dislodged from its set position until the knuckle has nearly completed its opening movement accidental dislodgment and a knuckle of the block due to movements of the knuckle within reasonable limits is rendered practically impossible.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence Iwould have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the eX- 1{act construction herein shown and described;

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a coupling-head and a knuckle pivotally supported therein, the tail of the knuckle having a depending shoulder, of a locking-block having a toe,

adapted when the block is in a set position to rest on the floor of the coupling-head and in the path of the depending shoulder on the tail of the knuckle.

2. The combination with a coupling-head ivotally supported therein, the tail of the nuckle having a depending projection located near its inner or rear end, of a locking-block having a toe depending from its under side, the said toe adapted, when the block is in its set position, to rest on the floor of the coupling 1n the path of the projection on the tail of the knuckle and means for tilting the locking-block.

3. The combination with a coupling-head and a knuckle pivotally supported therein and provided with a depending shoulder near the rear end of its tail, of a lockin -block having a toe adapted when the bloc is in a set position, to rest on the floor of the head in the path of the shoulder, and a shoulder in'the path of vertical movement of the lockinglock for tilting the block laterally, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a coupling-head having an opening in its bottom and a depending flange located to one side of said opening, and a knuckle pivoted in said head, the tail of said knuckle being provided with a dependingshoulder near its rear end, of a vertically-movable and laterally-swinging locking-block having a toe depending therefrom, the said toe adapted, when the lockingblock is in set position to rest on the floor of the coupling-head in the path of the shoulder on the tail oi the knuckle, and means for tilting said locking-block.

Y 5. A knuckle for car-coupling provided With a rearwardly-depending tail, the latter having a projecting shoulder located at the rear end of the tail for engagingand dislodging the locking-block.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL P. BUSH.

Witnesses A. W. BRIGHT, G. F. DOWNING. 

